Invincible
by Kamil the Awesome
Summary: Jedi Knight Shouto Todoroki has fallen to the dark side. As he plots to destroy the Jedi, Master Fuyumi Todoroki leads a desperate strike team to destroy her fallen brother...


A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….

INVINCIBLE

The galaxy is in turmoil. Peace and order has been disrupted as the vile Shigaraki conducts his campaigns against the Jedi Alliance. Jedi Knight SHOUTO TODOROKI has fallen to the dark side and become Darth Higek'bi, known to most as DABI. He plots against his former friends: the Jedi.

A daring mission has been launched to stop him. A Jedi strike team has left their secret base on YUUEI with haste. Led by Jedi Master FUYUMI TODOROKI, they seek to stop Dabi before he can destroy them. The mission is personal, for her worst fears have been realized: her brother has fallen—just like their father, the Dark Lord Endeavor.

Time is not their side. The Hermit Senator of Dagobah, called the DEKU, has been captured by Dabi and at any time could be coerced into revealing where the Jedi are hiding. The strike team races for the Maad system, where Dabi and his personal Star Destroyer, the _ALL MIGHT_, wait until the hidden base can be revealed….

**Maad system  
****Transitory Mists  
****Hapes Cluster**

Matte black Incom T-67 Stealth Assault Starfighters emerged from hyperspace on the far side of the icy and rocky world of Shedu Maad, their black and grey panels dotted with white and blue spots. The ten fighters drew into a tight formation; letting brief touches through the Force guide them closer together.

They were blanketed in darkness, for the three Maad stars waited beyond the world's rim. Through the Force, ten starfighters had divined a route through and around the natural barriers of the Transitory Mists: black holes, planetoids, and other space fragments. These had long made passing through the Mists, and thus invading the Hapes Cluster near impossible.

_Through the Force, all things are possible,_ was the prevailing wisdom—and wisdom it was, being proved true. As the starfighters began their slingshot maneuver around the barely inhabited world below, Ice Leader activated the short distance squadron comlink.

_We all made it through,_ thought Jedi Master Fuyumi Todoroki as nine blue lights pinged. Her comm connected to those of the rest of her undersized squadron, doubly reassuring. She settled into her cockpit, dressed in the navy blue flight suit and white and red flight gear of the Jedi Alliance, letting the crash webbing draw her back a little tighter, and said, "This is Ice Leader. Report in, Ice Squadron."

"Ice Two, standing by," replied Jedi Master Gunhead, Battlemaster of the Order. As the Order's Battlemaster, his primary duty was the training of younglings in the art of lightsaber combat through teaching them the six forms of combat condoned by the Council. Fuyumi was aware how he, among the most influential masters, was hit hardest by the defections of young Knights when her brother fell. She also thought it remarkable how strong his connection to the Force was, though little of his body was still flesh and blood.

"Ice Three, standing by," said Jedi Master Kamui of the High Council. Fuyumi was uncertain of how valuable he would be during the mission, but she couldn't deny his abilities as a Jedi. While he was a Neti, the presence of flametroopers would place his life in certain peril. However, his shapeshifting skills were useful in more natural settings than a Star Destroyer.

"Ice Four, standing by," said Jedi Knight Uraraka Ochako. Several defectors had been amongst her crèche as younglings. Fuyumi had agreed to bring her about because she had resisted the call of the dark side. She could only hope the girl's natural talent for acrobatic Force skills and Ataru wouldn't impede the mission.

"Ice Five, standing by," said Jedi Knight Mina Ashido. As rare as near-human hybrids are, being a member of the Jedi Order was even more so. As both Zabrak and Zeltron, her features—primarily her yellow horns and pink skin—boldly declared her heritage. Rumors floated about claiming she was the lover of the Hermit Senator, which troubled Fuyumi given that the Order had strict rules concerning relationships.

Ice Six, standing by, growled Jedi Knight Tetsu. She had great respect for the Wookies of Kashyyyk, and Tetsu was a shining example why. Thanks to his father swearing a life oath to Knight Kirishima's, they've been inseparable, even before they joined the Order as children. He was certainly the fiercest fighter among them, and the strongest.

"Ice Seven, standing by, kero," said Jedi Knight Tsuyu Asui. Whereas Knight Ashido's hybrid background was known to the Order, Knight Asui's was not. Only that her mother was a Gungan of Naboo, a secretive people who only in the past decades reached out to the humans they shared their green and blue world with.

"Ice Eight, standing _by_," said Jedi Knight Minoru Mineta, who had less been needed for the mission than requested to go. Even so, he was a capable pilot for his diminutive height, though Fuyumi thought his morals a more than a little questionable.

"Ice Nine, standing by and ready to go!" boasted Jedi Knight Eijirou Kirishima, honor brother to Knight Tetsu and the most recently knighted member of the strike team. It was only due to another one of his connections that Fuyumi had accepted onto the team, though with some hesitance. His youth and vigor had led to more trials than successes in past battles, and she did not want whatever poor luck that happened to follow him to strike during their mission.

"Ice Ten, standing by," said Jedi Knight Shouji Mezou. His physical as a Codru-Ji had been the primary factor in Fuyumi adding him to the mission. His multiple arms would aid in keeping enemy forces at bay, should their infiltration be detected.

Fuyumi nodded as the final member chimed in. "Form on me for the approach, Ice Squadron. Keep comms silent, unless absolutely necessary. Stick with your assigned wing mate should they scramble fighters, and have shadow bombs prepped. Ice Nine, you have liberty to start your attack once we reach the final kilometer or upon detection. May the Force be with us."

"May the Force be with us," several voices repeated.

The ten snub fighters finished their pass around Shedu Maad and their target came into view—the _All Might_. It was bold and outrageous in its colors, just like the Jedi it was named after. The massive hull plates were a bright, shocking blue with thick red borders. The high superstructure was a bright yellow, along with the jagged sections along the sides. Before the shipyards at Fondor were dropped onto the planet they orbited, the _Imperial II_-class Star Destroyer had been retrofitted with new turbolaser batteries, stronger shield generator systems, and the newest development in sensor equipment, along with the coloring that Shouto had designed himself. While the new equipment was impressive, Fuyumi trusted the StealthX fighters her squadron was using would give them the advantage; it until would be too late for her brother's crew to thwart their attack.

As they cruised along their final approach, Fuyumi's thoughts turned to her fellow Jedi. She was fully aware they were operating under the assumption they were, regardless of their feelings on the matter, on a kill mission. It sickened Jedi to know they had to kill someone, yet too often they encountered enemies too persistent or dangerous to permit them to live, as their doctrine taught they should do.

It was one of many terrible truths about their duty to ensure peace and justice in the galaxy. She had come to terms with this duty, and in an odd manner found serenity in the fact her hand was forced by events beyond her control. After all, the Jedi Code taught many things—among them was _there is no passion, there is serenity_.

And yet, Fuyumi had a feeling deep within. She wasn't sure where it came from, but it was a small sense of hope. A hope that she hadn't failed her brother, and that his fall was not like that of their father. That he could be redeemed and brought back to the light.

Once a great Jedi, Master Enji was corrupted and became Endeavor. It had always been her greatest fear that her or Shouto would fall. Their mother and their other siblings had been destroyed by their father's fall and she had done everything in her power to protect him. She protected him from other Jedi, suspicious of them. She protected him from the Senate, who had thought it appropriate to try a son in his father's place. She even protected him from the early years of Shigaraki's campaigns and went to fight for both of them on the front lines.

Shouto was safe, she had thought, even as she watched Dantooine crumble under Shigaraki's foul Sith alchemic workings; as the seas of Dac, home to the Mon Cal people, were turned to blood by the Lady of Madness, a rumored Nightsister able to become whomever she wished after consuming their blood.

And then, when Shouto was only fifteen, he had flown with the Wild, Wild Pussycats after Mandalay was crippled. _'The best star pilot in a generation,' _she had heard people whisper. The Jedi that looked down on him for his parentage became his friend overnight. And then he brazenly flew with the _Hermitage_ and _Bomber's Glory_ above Kamino, where the _Stain_ had crippled Jedi efforts to hold the world. Fuyumi had been proud of her brother then.

And then he spoke of strengthening the galaxy to repel the threat of Shigaraki. He sounded like many Jedi, she had thought, tired of fighting and wishing to defeat the apprentice of two Sith Lords. But there was a tone, a look in his eye, one that should have frightened her.

It didn't and now she found herself on the opposite side of a fight. Darth Higek'bi, he now called himself, though she heard others whisper _Dabi_.

_Too late to think about the past_, Fuyumi reminded herself as her fighter drew within a kilometer of the _All Might_. Several lights in the canopy flashed red and yellow and she shifted her fighter to the left. Their fighters were designed to prevent target locks, but something had picked them up and thus the turbolaser batteries of the Star Destroyer were moving into firing position. She flipped a switch and boosted the burn on the sublight engines. Her fighter shook as the s-foils opened, forming their increasingly iconic X-wing design, and she peeled into a spiraling dive directly towards the capital ship.

The squadron-wide comm light flashed green.

"Ice Two, Ice Four," said Ice Nine. Fuyumi glanced left and saw that a few others had opened their s-foils as well. "Follow me and Ice Six on our run along the port side. Prep bombs to hit the point mapped from our sims."

"Forming up, Ice Nine," announced Ice Two. "Lead the approach."

Fuyumi had to draw upon the Force to watch the four speckled fighters cut across to the far side of the Star Destroyer. She switched on one of the personal comms linked to her fighter. "Ice Three, this is Ice Leader. Lead the others down and along the keel to protect Ice Nine and his strike team. If Shou—Dabi scrambles eyeballs and squints, vape them. I'm making a run on the superstructure. Shouldn't be too difficult to take out something important. I doubt even my brother would have taken the time to retrofit his Imp-deuce and overcome the more obscure Kuat design flaws."

"Understood, Ice Leader," replied Ice Three. The blue comm lights flickered and flashed, and Fuyumi turned towards her right to see the other snub fighters head to follow her orders.

With a twist, her starfighter came out of its dive towards the forward tip of the _All Might_ and cut straight across the ship's looming hull, directed towards the high superstructure that was hundreds of meters above the thickest sections of durasteel. The distance counter of her computer spun down quickly from 1,587 meters, even as she slowly rose with the ship's design.

Unlike the main section, the superstructure was almost completely yellow, seeking to emulate the distinctive hairstyle of Master Toshinori. Turbolaser blasts began to explode around her; gunners desperate to take out the single snub fighter daring enough to challenge the Star Destroyer's might. She swerved and jinked past the laser fire, letting the Force guide her hand and the stick in it.

"Two eyeballs slipped past us, Ice Leader. Watch your tail."

"Understood, Ice Three. I can handle them."

Fuyumi kept on her path while reaching out with the Force. She could feel the two eyeballs—the mass produced and poorly shielded Sienar Fleet Systems TIE/LN starfighters—that were en route, curving around the edge of the _All Might_ and streaking towards her fighter with their classic screaming sound. As they approached, lasers cool and patient, she launched her first shadow bomb. Jedi mechanics had come up with the design, modifying photon torpedoes to remove the heavy propellant and targeting computer solution systems. Instead, a Jedi pilot would guide them, drawing upon the almighty power and will of the Force. With a nudge, she guided the bomb between the two TIEs. They didn't swerve, already confident it would fly past them and miss the delicate middle sections.

_Their mistake_, Fuyumi thought as she activated the bomb. The blast tore through the large hexagonal wings of the two fighters. One of them was knocked away from the battle, spinning, while the other found itself twirling into a dive-bomb towards the _All Might_ when the pilot tried to overcorrect from the jarring blast.

And through it all, she kept on her course towards the superstructure. With a slow backwards draw, she guided her fighter to fly high and then right towards one of the two great bulbs atop the fearsome capital ship: the primary deflector shield generator.

The pass only took a couple minutes, but Fuyumi felt as if it took a good half hour. Her comm was abuzz with reports—eyeballs and squints descending from the _All Might_ in waves, Ice Nine and those who had formed up on him continuing their passes as they worked to breach the hull along the port side—and she felt a faint pressure through the Force. It wasn't that her presence had been revealed to Shouto, but his will was exerted upon the whole of the _All Might_. From the commanding officer upon the bridge screaming to the lowest crewman monitoring life support, his will in the Force affected them all.

_Battle meditation_, she realized, passing by the exploding dome of the deflector shield generator. The cheers of her squadron were but a buzz in her ears as Fuyumi was struck by the full magnitude of her brother's power. _He has learned battle meditation. He has such a mastery over it that he can even use it while distracted by other duties._

_Not even the ancient greats had his capacity, to _learn_ battle meditation. Is this the power of the dark side? To learn this technique, the one those ancients were born with? I know he never had it as a Jedi._

It was frightening coming to that terrible, twisted realization. Unlike many Force abilities, battle meditation was an ability one had to be born with a talent for, regardless of alignment. It was extraordinarily rare among the Order, normally appearing once every few generations—and that was the average over time. The only ones who Fuyumi could distinctly remember having it were from the time of the Ancient Sith Wars—Grand Master Nomi Sunrider and her last and most infamous pupil, the fallen Bastila Shan.

And everyone knew that was an anomaly by the standards of the Order.

Fuyumi turned to the comm. "Ice Squadron, be aware that Dabi is passively using battle meditation. Ice Three, I will be with you and the screening fighters shortly. Ice Nine, time your hull breach so we can all safely board."

"Understood, Ice Leader," responded Ice Three. There were several clicks of blue lights, showing acknowledgement from the rest of the squadron.

"One minute and twenty-seven seconds until breach, Ice Leader," reported Ice Nine. "There's some cracks along the port side of the Impstar-deuce—maybe around the third mark from the tip."

"Be mindful of the cracks with your shatterpoint ability. Mark my position and fire as I come upon the hull's edge."

"Gotcha, Ice Leader."

Fuyumi shook her head, amused by the casualness Knight Kirishima acted with. It was, in many ways, refreshing. Too many Jedi were serious about every matter, regardless of their setting. And yet, it could be extraordinarily dangerous on a mission as significant and severely dangerous as the one they were upon. It wasn't something she wanted to think upon often, but if Shouto could successfully destroy the base on Yuuei, he could hand the entire war to Shigaraki without another shot having to be fired.

_This is too important for second-guessing myself._

Her fighter flew past the superstructure and curved along the undefended, painted or dyed white and red and blue to draw eyes towards the spine of the _All Might_, even thought that small area of rear defense was weakest thanks to historical designs—the rear and bottom hulls had long been weaknesses in the design of capital ships built by Kuat Ship Yards, and the Imperial II was no exception. As her fighter spun so the hull would be above her, Fuyumi felt a jarring shift in the Force.

"We just lost Ice Eight, Ice Leader."

Her eyes flickered to the small panel besides her comm unit and saw that the blue light for said fighter had gone dark.

_You knew there would be casualties._

Fuyumi leaned into the guidance stick, maneuvering right as she spotted a flight of squints emerged from the _All Might_. While their pointed, angular wings gave them a threatening appearance, it was the personal shields and advanced maneuverability when compared to their bog-standard brethren that made them dangerous. She cut through their formation, quad lasers ablaze.

"Five kills, Leader," remarked Ice Four. "You'll be grounded for days just so the paint dries."

She nodded, clicking over her acknowledgement as she swung around, spinning into a barrel roll as the space around her fighter filled with green laser fire. She fired a spread of her own red lasers through the remaining squints, making them break formation and scatter.

But then, "Ice Squadron, Niner here. Hull breach imminent. Sending coordinates."

"Coordinates received, Nine," she replied. "Breach in fifteen…mark!"

"Marked and understood, Ice Leader. Breach in thirteen and counting."

She jammed the afterburners and was thrust back into her seat by the acceleration. The few remaining squints could possibly catch up, but they were likely so caught off guard by the move that they froze and failed to fire on her fighter's exposed rear. Fuyumi glanced left and right, watching as the rest of her squadron formed up around her, faintly cutting across the bleakness of space.

"Breaching, Ice Leader."

She looked up, coming around the edge of the Star Destroyer, and saw several explosions along its length. There was a brief moment of pause, and then suddenly men and supplies were ejected from the breach. With a quick toggle, the S-foils of her fighter closed and she punched the afterburner once more. Her fighter screamed forward, pushing past the ejected masses and burst through the breach, and finally crashed harshly against the deck with a screeching grind.

Fuyumi punched the canopy unseal and used the Force to send the transparisteel section across the deck and slam into one of the quickly reacting Stormtroopers. She ripped off the crash webbing, removed her helmet as she leapt from her fighter, chucked it at another Stormtrooper, and disappeared into the billowing smoke, drawing upon the Force to blur and confuse the senses of her foes.

_Here I come, Shouto. Prepare yourself._

**Aboard the **_**All Might  
**_**Deck Nine  
****Detention Level  
****Several minutes ago**

The turbolift door hissed open. Darth Higek'bi stepped out, followed by two black clad guards and his apprentice. He strode down the dark hexagonal corridor, grates beneath his feet and sealed cell doors to each side. It was simple to find whom he was heading for, since he only had to let the Force guide him to his _honourable_ guest. It had been tricky, finding the Hermit Senator, but his reach extended much further now than it ever did when he was Shouto Todoroki, Jedi Knight.

_He was weak. Too weak to protect those he must,_ he thought, holding back a grimace. _Let them think me the villain, the monster my father was. I will save the galaxy where Master Toshinori never could. The Jedi do not have the strength to keep peace. Only a Sith Lord can do so, and if I must be that Sith Lord, then it is a small price, a small sacrifice to make._

_That is all being Sith is—pain and sacrifice and power._

They stopped before the cell where the Hermit Senator was held. "Lord Dabi," said the officer waiting before the cell door. He wore a drab-green uniform, as custom with those of the old Imperial Navy. The man's gaze was slightly lowered, likely focused on the burn scar that emerged from beneath Dabi's half mask. It was a cruel reminder of his lineage. "I must protest this decision. Let my men question—"

"You have been too slow, Lieutenant," Dabi said. "However, I am not without mercy. There is another prisoner aboard, who is less of a…priority. Work them until they speak."

"As you command, my lord." The Lieutenant bowed and then scurried off in a brisk march. Dabi glanced at the man and then snorted.

"I am surrounded by fools," he grumbled. His apprentice smirked, a twisted look. The cell door slid open with a hiss and he stepped down into the confining chamber. On the far side rested the prisoner, lying on his cold durasteel bed.

"Hello, Shouto," said the Deku. He rolled over but didn't sit up. With green hair, green eyes, and pale skin, Dabi suspected the Deku was a near-human hybrid instead of the common human many assumed. There were some races—Twi'leks, Zeltrons, Zabraks, Togrutas, among others—who could have children with the common base line humans. "I was wondering when you would pay me a visit. Have you come to discuss the nature of the Force as you once did? Or am I to be tortured until I reveal where your sister rallies the Jedi?"

"It is Higek'bi, old friend. _Darth_ Higek'bi, though my men have taken to calling me Dabi. Shouto Todoroki was weak, like the Jedi. Weak like my cowardly sister, Fuyumi. And as I destroyed him, I will destroy them—and her." He then took a slow, methodical step to his right as his apprentice came down to join them. The two guards remained at the open cell door. "I believe you are familiar with Katsuki here. My apprentice was instrumental in your capture."

"I am," the Deku said, morose eyes turning from Dabi to Katsuki, dressed in black with two white belts crossing his chest. Dabi was pleased when his apprentice only sneered, red eyes vivid with painful emotions. "Are you happy with the choice you have made, Kacchan?"

"Happiness was never a concern of mine," Katsuki snarled. He turned to Dabi. "I will be just outside, master."

With that, he strode out, all black armor and snarling fury. Dabi shot a small smirk at his back, pleased by how wiling his apprentice was to reach and draw upon his anger and hate.

"Your way leads to death," the Deku told Dabi once the door sealed. "The dark side only leads to ruin. It isn't too late to turn away. Your fath—"

"Don't speak to me about my father!" Dabi shouted, tightening his hand. The Deku's face turned near translucent, gasping for breath as his hands tried to pull away from their bindings. "The only thing he did right was turn away from the Jedi. He, unlike I, allowed his passions and his fury to guide his hand. I am stronger, focused. I shall bring peace and security to the galaxy. The Jedi are all too weak to achieve them." He then released his grasp through the Force.

"And what of…Shigaraki?" gasped the Deku. "Why join…him?"

Dabi smirked. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend…though he too is unworthy. In time I shall destroy him. And then, finally, there shall be _peace_."

The Deku sighed, finally regaining his breath. "I am disappointed in you, Shouto. And so would your father. He, in the end, was redeemed. Yes, he burned the galaxy in hellfire as Endeavor, but All Might redeemed him and brought down their shared foe. Your father died a hero."

"Perhaps he did," Dabi muttered. "But that matters not to me any more. My father is dead and not a single word you could say will change it."

"He loved you."

"Loved, Deku! _Loved_." Dabi swung his left arm in a wave across his body, launching the Deku into a wall with a loud slam. "I _hate_ him, and I hate everything he did to me." He panted, and after a long moment, slowly drew himself back in, letting his rage simmer under the surface. "But, that is not why I am here. The Jedi you protect would oppose my vision of the future. Their soft, pseudo-pacifistic ways only create more harm. Tell me where they are and I will let you return to Dagobah unharmed." He paused, feeling the Deku in the Force. "I will even let you take your Jedi girl."

That brought a dark scowl to the often bemused or serene expression of the Deku. It was the look Dabi had ben hoping to draw out of his captive.

"I will not tell you, for if you do not know, the Jedi never truly trusted you. Their current base was established long before you fell."

Dabi scowled, ignoring the itch of his burn scar as his brow drew it down against his mask. "What is that supposed to mean?"

The Deku blinked before regaining his bemusement. "The current base they operate from, by my understanding, was founded by Master Fuyumi. I would've thought if there was anyone she'd tell, it would be you."

_My…my sister?_ He had never considered what her role might be in this entire ordeal. Dabi had been so focused upon building his strength and finding the Jedi that he never considered just who he might find himself facing. She had seemed so weak, so unwilling to do what was necessary. He never suspected she would have enough durasteel in her spine to prepare a place like that.

"So be it," he said, forcing his will and certainty into his voice. "If Fuyumi deems to oppose me, then I shall just go through her."

"Are you so lost in your ambition that you'd destroy your family?"

Dabi scowled. "She isn't the family I mean to keep safe. It will be upon her to survive—unless she stands against me, that is."

"How greatly did you violate the Order's rules about attachments?" asked the Deku.

"Tell me how you got her to violate them and I'll tell you how far I went," Dabi replied, skeptical his prisoner would take the bait.

There was a long moment as the Deku stared at him, more contemplative than anything else, and then he smirked. "Why not. It does neither of us any true harm."

Dabi frowned._ What else are you planning, old friend? Do you think you can monologue your way out of giving me what I want? That is folly, and I am just enough to even let you think it can work._

"As you know, Jedi students struggling with the gifts inherent to their species are sent to me for training," the Deku began. "Knight Ashido came to work with me when her pheromone traits went out of balance."

"Her Zeltron heritage became stronger than her Zabrak one then? Did she sweep you under her spell? Or were you the one who claimed her?"

The Deku laughed. "You clearly forget the training I have undertaken, to build immunity to all manner of poisons and manipulations. Not even with the Force can you draw out the secret of your sister's base. Torture me all you wish with it, but you cannot reach into my mind and draw it out."

"Shut it!" Dabi screamed, teeth grinding. "Is there anything else to your rambling story, or will you tell me where she is?"

The Deku smirked. "I believe you owe me a story, Shouto."

"It is DARTH HIGEK'BI, _Izuku_." He choked his prisoner for several seconds before releasing. The dark side rushed with pleased fury, though it begged for more. "But since you are so curious, I am doing what I must for peace. It is all so my wife and child can live without these constant wars threatening their lives. The Jedi are too weak to achieve peace. Only a Sith Lord, one with vision and integrity, can do so. I will deal with my sister and her band, and then I will destroy Shigaraki."

"And then there will be peace?" the Deku mocked. "You sound like every Sith Lord that has come before you. You forget I am old enough to remember the time before Bane and his Rule of Two. The ancient ones spoke just as you do—and many of them were Jedi once, as well."

"I remember, but I do not care. Now, where are the Jedi?"

The Deku looked around. "I think they came to you, Shouto."

There was a shaking, as if the Star Destroyer had been slapped with a giant hammer. Dabi held out a hand, leaning against a cell wall, and scowled. "What is—"

'_WARNING. BREACHES ALONG PORT SIDE, DECKS FOUR THROUGH NINE._

'_WARNING. BREACHES ALONG PORT SIDE, DECKS FOUR THROUGH NINE._

'_BOARDERS DETECTED. ALERT. BOARDERS DETECTED._

'_ALL PERSONEL, REPORT TO YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER.'_

Dabi gritted his teeth. _So they would dare and face me? I did not think they were so arrogant._ He reached out into the Force, curious. There was something familiar about… _Is that really you, Fuyumi? Have you come for me? If you have, then come confirm my strength._

**Deck Seven, Port Side**

Fuyumi slipped through the billowing smoke, ignoring screaming klaxons, panicking crewmen, and confused troopers. She felt three presences follow her, using her bright presence in the Force to guide them.

Neither of her fellow masters was with them, but she could sense both elsewhere aboard the _All Might_. When Shouto had first named the Star Destroyer, the Jedi Alliance had been pleased. Grand Master Toshinori was a legend and by using the name by which Master Toshinori was known by from Endor to Mandalore and Telos to Talravin garnered him good will among their fellows.

_If they could now see what he is doing with this ship,_ Fuyumi thought, clipping her lightsaber and resting a hand against the holstered small roundabout blaster. She paused inside a thankfully empty and small monitoring station so three other Jedi could rendezvous with her. They slipped inside, weapons on their belts, and she was relieved to see that they had the sense to strip off their flight gear after landing. The weight of the excess gear would slow them down, especially Knight Ochako with her flashy, acrobatic form of combat. Fuyumi glanced down at the gear still she wore.

"Master Todoroki," Knight Kirishima interrupted, relieved. Tetsu growled happily and Knight Ochako smiled tiredly. "That was a rough landing. We saw yours go all sliding across the deck and even crush a technician."

She nodded, pushing back the feeling of regret for the unnecessary deaths, and then briefly reached out into the Force. There was a tendril of power, one all too familiar.

"Shouto knows I'm here," she whispered. With a sigh, Fuyumi turned to face them. "You three must follow my orders, no matter what. If I tell you to abandon me, you must do so without question. If any of us hesitate, this mission could backfire and spell the end of the Order."

They nodded. Before they could move, three more Jedi skirted over to them. Knight Ashido led them, with Master Gunhead right behind her, and Knight Asui bringing up the rear. All of them had the sense to keep their lightsabers deactivated for the moment, though they held their weapons instead of leaving them on their belts.

"Master Kamui and Knight Mezou are on Deck Five," Gunhead informed Fuyumi. She didn't dare reach out for them, but from the vague things she remembered during the boarding, it fit where they'd been. "They are en route to one of the smaller hangars. They will prepare transportation back to Yuuei once our mission to retrieve the Senator of Dagobah has been completed. He is, as expected, on the Detention Level."

"That's Deck Eight, right?" asked Kirishima.

"Nine," Asui corrected. "Eight is Prisoner Transfer. Detention is a floor below. Imp-Deuces aren't terribly complicated."

Fuyumi silenced them with a look. With her left hand, she signed out a message: Four, Six, Nine, with me. Five, Seven, you are with Two. Her eyes found Gunhead's hidden ones and used the Force to whisper into his mind, _'Leave Dabi to me. If you must, leave me behind. I will send the others to you should that be necessary.'_

'_I don't like this,'_ Gunhead replied. Their technique—Force communication—was advanced among those who didn't specialize in mental Force techniques, and one most Masters learned to some degree. _'However, this is your mission. I may disagree with the Council on that matter, but they have their reason.'_

'_I understand. May the Force be with you.'_

'_And with you, Master Todoroki.'_

She nodded to him and moved forward from where they had been hidden. She followed the corridor past three intersections before turning right, keeping close to the wall. There were a few tech workers, in simple grey uniforms styled after Imperial Officer uniforms.

_The Force is my ally_, Fuyumi reminded herself, _and a powerful ally it is_. She turned back to the three Knights with her. While difficult, she had taken the time during the early months of the war to learn Force cloak. One by one, she used the ability upon the Knights following her and sent them forward, beyond the technicians, until it was her turn to slip past. Drawing deep into the Force, she cloaked herself from them, so that as she walked past, they neither saw nor heard her.

"You ever think we made the wrong choice staying onboard?" one of the techs asked, voice barely a whisper. Fuyumi paused, glancing at them.

"Dunno," another tech said. He opened a small bulkhead panel and poked his head in. He held out a hand. "Hydrospanner. Three quarters width."

The first tech handed over the requested tool. "I'm only saying that I think, uh, Lord Dabi made the wrong choice, siding with that madman Shigaraki over the Jedi."

Fuyumi moved on. As much as she'd like to listen in on their conversation, there was no time to stand back and listen. Every moment she drew upon the Force, there was a chance her brother would discover her. And yet, the mere fact there were some aboard the _All Might_ who disagreed with the choice their leader had made brought hope to her.

She rejoined the Knights and they continued down the corridor they had stepped into. At every intersection, they paused to check for patrols and passing crewmen. There were a couple times where Fuyumi spotted stormtroopers, but they continued on before her and her team could be spotted.

After several long, tense minutes of sneaking about the corridors of the Star Destroyer, they reached the mission's first checkpoint: a security panel blocking access to the network of crawlspaces linking decks together. They were a relic of the construction process at shipyards like Kuat and Fondor and Bilbringi, used by the workers to add finishing touches and fix issues wherever they may emerge, both before ships were commissioned and during refits. Now, it would prove to be their undoing, for Fuyumi had planned the mission to take advantage of the blind spot they would be for normal Imperial crews.

_They would never consider a Jedi would use such a backhanded trick._

With a wave of a hand, the panel hissed and popped open, sliding aside so they could enter. Knight Kirishima went first, followed by Knight Ochako, Knight Tetsu, and finally Fuyumi, who sealed them inside with another wave.

They climbed down, moving slowly as they went rung by rung. It was ironically symbolic—four Jedi having to descend into the darkness so they could confront a Sith who was once one of their own.

Time became little more than an illusion until suddenly there was light from below.

"Oh good, nobody's around," mumbled Kirishima after he stepped out of the passage and into a corridor. Knights Ochako and Tetsu quickly followed. Fuyumi stepped onto Deck Nine without issue, waving her hand behind her to seal the way they'd come. Any mistake would alert the enemy to their exact presence.

"Did you not use the Force to check if anyone was near?" Fuyumi asked him. When he grimaced, it took all her willpower not to sigh and rub the bridge of her nose. "Consider this a teaching moment then, Knight Kirishima. You need to be more aware of your surroundings."

"I understand, Master Todoroki."

"Then do better," Fuyumi said. She unclipped her lightsaber, thumb resting on the ignition, and waited until the three knights did the same. "Do you feel those presences?"

"Bakugou," whispered Ochako, a hand before her mouth. Fuyumi turned to the girl and regretted it, for there was a look of horror that felt as if she were looking into a mirror after hearing Shouto announce to the galaxy his transformation into Darth Higek'bi. "I…I had heard he'd gone over…"

"It changes nothing," Fuyumi declared. "We continue the mission, no matter what."

"And if we encounter Bakugou?" asked Ochako, fingers white as they tightened around her lightsaber. "Do we continue the mission then?"

"Yes." She turned away and added, "And Knight Ochako? Be mindful of your feelings, or else they will betray you. The Sith have corrupted many good Jedi through manipulation alone."

"Yes, master."

They continued on, though Fuyumi could feel the fluctuation of uncertainty in Ochako. The knight was strong, talented, but had few to lean upon as she struggled with the fallout of her closest friends defecting to join Shouto, and by association, Shigaraki.

_The sooner we finish this mission, the better,_ she thought. _Shouto, reveal yourself. You cannot hide from me forever._

And as if summoned by her thoughts, Shouto came around the corner, dressed in black armor and robes. There was a white mask upon his face, hiding the upper half of his face. Traces of his terrible burn scar—a product of their father's raging tendency to abuse his ability to use the rare and difficult skill of Force fire—could be seen from beneath the mask. Terrible Sith eyes—yellow and red and full of hatred—blazed at seeing them.

"Dabi!" shouted Knight Ochako, igniting her saber. The other two followed suit, all behind Fuyumi. She didn't do as so, but instead began to stride forward, thumb ready to press down.

And, to her shock, Shouto turned and raced off, the afterimage of Force speed hovering hazily in the moment of a blink. She took after him, ignoring the sudden shouts of the Knights she was supposed to be leading. It mattered not, in the moment. All that Fuyumi could focus on was her brother and the unwitting surprise she had spotted in his sulfuric eyes. The goose chase took her around three corners, and right before she thought she finally had him, the doors of a turbolift slammed shut in her face and the light above quickly dropped. She pounded upon the doors several times until she could reign in her frustration.

_If this is how you wish to play this game,_ Fuyumi thought, igniting her lightsaber and beginning to slice through the door, _then so be it._

**Deck Nine  
****Elevator Bay Esk  
****Car 113-C**

Dabi sighed as the elevator doors sealed before Fuyumi could stop him. He could hear her banging against the door as the turbolift descended upon repulsorlifts. Their reunion had come sooner than he expected, regardless of the fact he had quickly become aware of her presence aboard his flagship in a clearly brazen attempt to defeat him. He closed his eyes and reached out, feeling out the various Jedi with the Force. He had not bothered at first, more concerned that _she_ would dare and strike like this. There had been three with his sister—all Jedi Knights, from that brief moment of seeing their faces—and he felt three more en route to his prisoner. It took some time, but he was able to parse out their names before they could all pull away enough to cloak themselves from his connection to the Force.

_Knights Kirishima and Tetsu…oh, and Knight Ochako, too…they were all close to Bakugou as Jedi. Do they think they can sway my apprentice from the dark side? The fools will destroy themselves, facing his new powers._

_Ah…and the others. Master Gunhead…along with Knights Asui and Ashido. Asui was always perceptive and talented at searching out persons of interest, while Ashido is clearly here for her lover. I wonder if she could be turned._

_How un-Jedi-like, taking a lover like she has. But then again, I took one, too and went further than any would dare. Though I am surprised that Master Gunhead is with them and not the three who were with Fuyumi. Perhaps Bakugou will get the chance to kill his old master. It would be fitting, a Sith apprentice killing his Jedi master._

He straightened as a computer voice announced, "Deck Twelve." He could already feel Fuyumi cutting through the decks to give chase to him. _If you are so insistent upon catching me, sister, then follow where I go._

_I will show Shigaraki that I am truly worthy of being a Sith Lord. Sacrifice and pain are part of our nature. You will help me feel them even more, Fuyumi—with your life!_

**Deck Eight  
****Prisoner Transfer Hub**

Knight Kirishima led the way into the Prisoner Transfer Hub as they continued with the mission. The room was dark, with thick black consoles hexagonally encircling a large holocomm relay. There were doors across from them and towards their left, offset against the further side of the chamber by several degrees. Uraraka kept her thumb on the ignition of her lightsaber. When Master Fuyumi went to pursue and eliminate Dabi, she had deactivated her weapon. But now, she was tempted to activate her reassuring, humming blade. She could feel a familiar presence drawing near. It was clouded, murky, as if whomever it was had drawn back enough to mask who they were. Or perhaps the dark side polluted their signature.

_Bakugou, is that you?_

Are you sure we shouldn't go after the Todorokis? Tetsu asked, warbling. Ochako felt thankful she had taken the time to learn Shyriiwook. She couldn't speak it like Kirishima could, but the fact she wasn't cut out of their conversations was nice.

_It isn't like I have many friends anymore._

"Master Fuyumi told us to continue the mission, no matter what." Kirishima paused before grimacing, as if the words he were expressing with pure distaste. "Dabi is…is her mission to face. We are here to make sure the Deku can return to Alliance space. I think the other squad is ahead of us—we got delayed by Dabi's surprise appearance."

Doesn't mean I like letting her go off on her own, Tetsu responded with a low growl. If we got rid of Dabi, then freeing the Deku would be simpler. It's rather un-Jedi to say, but we know it's true.

"I agree with Tetsu," Ochako added. "I'd rather we had gone after her. This war is about stopping the Sith and Shouto's become one of them! Four of us against one of him would be odds too great for even him to overcome."

"So you agree he's truly fallen?" asked Kirishima with only the slightest hint of doubt. The lights finally activated, but not due to their presence.

Bakugou stood across the chamber from them, a long weapon in a hand. He was dressed in dark clothes and black armor, the white X-bandoleer from his childhood stretched across his chest. His blond hair was jagged and ragged, and his eyes blazed red with loathing. There were hints of Sith yellow, but it was nearly choked out by the raging hatred that burned in the fierce, glimmering red.

"Clearly none of you are familiar with stealth," Bakugou snarled, "or perhaps you would have found a chance to surprise either myself or my master."

He stepped forward with long, predatory strides. Ochako was bothered by how easily she noticed the way his muscles flexed under the tight cloth over much of his form. Kirishima and Tetsu stepped forward in turn, lightsabers in hand. Where Kirishima's was curved for dueling, Tetsu had used the skull of a rather nasty Trandoshan bounty hunter known as Spinner to fashion the hilt of his weapon. The pair ignited their lightsabers, both of their blades the yellow long associated with the Temple Guards of Coruscant. In turn, Bakugou began to spin the pole in his hand, igniting one blade and then another. The first to snap to life was the blazing orange from his time as a Jedi, rough and willing to bend rules for results. The other was Sith red—a grim reminder of how far he had fallen. He twirled it several more times before letting it come to a lazy rest before him.

"Flee, or I will destroy you all. I will not fail my master."

"You already have," Kirishima declared, pointing his yellow blade right at Bakugou's heart. The Sith apprentice only pursed his lips, red eyes flickering from one Jedi to the next. Tetsu growled, a low promise of violence, as he tightened his own grip. Ochako stepped forward, igniting her lightsaber with a snap-hiss, the emerald green blade hovering over the ground as it hummed.

"So you would oppose me?" he drawled with an amused smirk. "A foolish endeavor, but then you are Jedi. Show me you are worthy of my attention when you are as weak as I once was."

The three Knights locked gazes and after a slow, unanimous nod, they charged forward and forced Bakugou immediately onto the defensive, spinning his lightsaber into a shield of reds and oranges, like one great explosion ballooning into a fine ball.

**Deck Twelve  
****Carbon Freezing Chamber**

Her lightsaber ignited with a snap-hiss as she passed through hissing doors. The small, dark chamber was filled with bluish light, illuminated in the presence of her humming weapon. Fuyumi Todoroki prowled into the chamber, each step slow as she scanned the dark corners and shadowed alcoves. Orange lights activated beneath her feet, slowly ticking on with each step. The light illuminated the white and red strands of hair that just hung over her face. She could feel Shouto's Force signature in the chamber, yet he evaded her. He felt dark and sickly compared to the beaming presence she had known growing up—even up to then, part of her wanted to deny his fall. But now it was completely certain that Shouto had fallen to the dark side and was destroyed by the Sith he had become.

"Shouto Todoroki," she said, projecting her voice with the Force. "In the name of the Senate of the Galactic Jedi Alliance, you are under arrest for high crimes—treason, intent to commit genocide, conspiracy to overthrow the Alliance, and several violations of the Jedi Code for which you will be tried by the Jedi Courts—including your dabbling with and the embrace of the dark side of the Force."

"You think I would give this up?" whispered Shouto, his voice everywhere yet nowhere. While she recognized his presence, Fuyumi had, if only for a brief moment, doubted the voice of her brother. It sounded not like the young man, newly a Knight, she had known. Instead, he had given into the terrible impulses that had destroyed their parents and their father especially. "The power I possess is greater than any a single Jedi has ever known."

"You don't have to do this, Shouto," Fuyumi pleaded, searching for him in the chamber. "Nothing but death has come from the ways of the Sith. Give it up!"

"Then you do not know the ways of the Sith as you believe you do," her brother replied as she finally found the outline of his form. He stepped forward so she could see how he had changed. While the mask and the armor and his terrible eyes had been so noticeable in that all too brief encounter, there were small traits that she only now noticed. There was a slight gauntness to his cheeks and eye sockets, hints of dark skin to better blend in with the shadows his oft furrowed brow providing hiding places for. "I am no longer Shouto, Fuyumi. Not truly."

"Fine," Fuyumi bit out, holding back tears and her own shattering heart. "_Dabi_."

He smirked. "Not perfect, but I thought you would be difficult and reject my choice to step into the dark."

"Choice? You mean your _fall_."

"I have not fallen," Dabi declared. "I have only turned from the light and the Jedi. Your ways, your weakness, are not enough to bring peace to the galaxy. Only a Sith has the power to do so. Only they provide—"

"You have been fooled if you think the dark side can bring peace."

"Not the dark side, Master Jedi. _The Sith_. They may use the dark side, but it is not their essence. _Passion_ is the essence of the Sith, and a natural part of life the Jedi foolishly reject." And with that, he ignited his lightsaber—Sith crimson.

_It is just like Father's._

Fuyumi brought her weapon up as her rear foot slid back. Her brother had always been an aggressive fighter, and she was certain becoming a Sith would make him even worse. "Then you are the fool. Father spoke just like you when he became Endeavor. We both know what became of him."

"Still using Soresu?" he said, smirking. "Let me show you my true strength and how far I have advanced."

Dabi sprung forward, attacking furiously. Fuyumi was annoyed he had called her out for the lightsaber form she specialized in, but other than Djem So, it was the most suited towards handling his preference for unending offense. She blocked and parried several strikes, yet Dabi proved to be fast enough to stop her from finding an opportunity to counter attack. Slowly, yet with the assuredly of chaos, Fuyumi found herself being driven towards the chamber's center—a large, gapping pit used for the carbon freezing process. She created space between them with an overpowered Force push and followed it with a low backflip over the pit. She felt warmth rising from it, an unpleasant reminder of just how the process the chamber was designed for.

"You plan to carbon freeze me," Fuyumi stated.

"I thought it was clear from when you entered, but it seems your arrogance has blinded you, Fuyumi." Dabi started towards her left, slowly walking around the pit. The tip of his lightsaber hovered over the floor. She took several steps away from it, letting her cyan blade pass before her face and into the stance of Djem So. Soresu was clearly not enough to overcome Dabi.

He frowned, sulfuric eyes glimmering with fury. It had been his form as a Jedi, before he abandoned the Jedi. Fuyumi suspected, even feared he now used _the_ Sith form. "Do not think you can use my own skills against me, Fuyumi. I did not think even you would be this foolish."

"The words of a scared child."

He growled and leapt forward in a whirling twirl, lightsaber before him like a piercing drill. She drew back two steps and then towards his left—his scarred side. Dabi struck out with abandon, hoping to score a grazing hit as he turned out of his squat landing. Instead, it swung through air and she drove a kick into his temple. He was sent sprawling out, but as she charged, he spun to land on his back. His fingers suddenly struck out and before she could capitalize upon him landing upon his back with a blast of Force lightning.

Fuyumi brought up her lightsaber defensively, catching the blast of power on her blade. Indigo bolts fought the cyan blade and she grimaced as her weapon made the hissing sound of an overcharging capacitor. She stepped away and slashed her blade to throw the lightning's course away from her and towards her left.

"You…you have truly fallen," Fuyumi huffed out, seeking breath. He remained fixed upon her, his mask disguising the emotions she could feel from him.

"I have become more," Dabi drawled. "If only you had the wisdom to throw away the mental chains of the Jedi."

"Says the one who fell for the same basket of lies and tricks father did."

Her words finally sunk in and drew forth his rage. Dabi lunged at her, crimson blade swinging wildly as he bellowed, "I AM NOTHING LIKE HIM!"

"You are exactly like him!" Fuyumi shouted, parrying into a counter. He stepped away from her jab before knocking her blade aside with a sideways, jamming shove. She retreated again, nearly stumbling when Dabi surprised her with a lunging jab. It blackened the front of her navy flight suit and melted some of her white flight gear. She could feel the searing heat seep through and lance an uncomfortable heat against her naval. When he brought his blade back to drive home a powerful blow, she stepped into his guard, deactivated her saber, and plowed in his face with a Force enhanced punch.

Dabi stumbled away, a hand pressed to his face as blood ran smooth and quick over his leather gloves. There were light cracks on his mask, but it didn't shatter and fall away. Several seconds passed until it stopped and his nose looked perfectly fine once the hand fell away.

"You don't have it within yourself to do what is necessary," he jeered. "You are like every other Jedi, weak and afraid of making the hard choices."

"Hard choices?" Fuyumi lowered her guard and took a step forward. "You know nothing of hard choices. Becoming a Sith isn't a hard choice—it's a weak one. Don't try and stand there, calling me a fool when you've done nothing but set the galaxy towards chaos."

"If you are against me, then you are my enemy." Dabi snarled, displayed gritted teeth. "Blood or not."

Frowning, she took a step forward. "You should surrender, then."

"Don't tell me about what I should and shouldn't do!" Dabi screamed, outstretching his hand to raise several objects. "I have no time to deal with little distractions like _you_, Fuyumi!"

She gritted her teeth, dodging the objects as they were sent in her direction, and raised her lightsaber high. It was clear she no longer had a choice. "THEN DIE ALREADY!" With that, she leapt high over the freezer's carbonizing coolant storage, swinging her blade down to thwart any attempt by Dabi to cut her out of the air.

_Forgive me, Mother,_ she thought as their blades clashed. The hint of a tear slipped from the far corner of her left eye. _I failed Shouto, just as you failed Father. I will do what I must._

**Prisoner Transfer Block Besh**

Uraraka backpedaled as a blazing orange blade nearly took her head off, followed by a shorter fiery red one. As much as she prided herself in her skill with a lightsaber, Bakugou had always possessed an instinctive understanding of combat that all of her training with Gunhead continued to fail in surpassing. She took a few more steps back as the tag team of Tetsu and Kirishima moved in. They flowed as one, using their monumental strength and stamina to hold off against the superior skill of their foe.

"Fierfek, man," Kirishima grunted. "Why'd ya have to go and do this?"

Bakugou punched him before deflecting a slash from Tetsu using the Force. "You wouldn't understand, Kirishima. I _need_ power—power that the Jedi could never provide. Perhaps Dabi is right about becoming a Sith—that I have to destroy something important to my former self."

Kirishima frowned at the admittance, but Uraraka only blinked. She had never heard Bakugou call someone by their name. That he would do so now was a sign of how far he had fallen from the crude yet trustworthy friend they all once knew. More so, he had recognized how important his relationship with Kirishima had been.

The lopsided duel had drifted from the hub chamber, surprisingly small for an Imp-deuce like the _All Might_, and into one of the narrow transfer blocks. Ochako suspected that behind nearly every door around them were not the petty crooks and smugglers that filled cells within Alliance space, but political and military enemies of Dabi's. She hoped Bakugou had yet to fall so far and deeply that he could as easily place enemies behind locked doors.

_Though given how he fights,_ she thought as he turned his furious and wrathful attention upon her, _our friend is gone, replace with this murderous monster who only cares for the power to kill whomever opposes him._

"Give up," Bakugou suggested even as the honor brothers attacked him again in unison. He had caught the blade of Kirishima's weapon, twisting it away as he slid to avoid the worst of Tetsu's powerful, overhead strikes. He shoved an open palm towards them, launching a ball burst of Force fire at them. "You cannot defeat me. I have always been the better fighter. Now I have the power of the dark side—the power to destroy all of my enemies." He paused, red eyes trailing across the three Jedi against him. Ochako shivered when they locked up hers for just the briefest of moments. "Do not make me destroy you."

"You say…say that," Kirishima panted, "as if _you_ could destroy us."

Bakugou appeared surprised and incredulous, as if he hadn't thought one of his opponents could say something so stupid and short sighted. "Do you not understand how this fight has been, or are you as blind as every Jedi?"

"Blindness is only an infirmary when one's soul is blind to the lies told to themselves," announced a clear voice. Ochako turned to find Knight Mina Ashido supporting Senator Deku, flanked by Master Gunhead and Knight Asui. Only Ashido kept her lightsaber deactivated, focused upon the mysterious man leaning against her. "Your eyes may see, but your vision is clearly clouded."

"You know nothing of what I have seen, of what I have become," Bakugou snarled. "You are limited by your ignorance."

"Bold of you to claim I am the ignorant one, my old friend."

Bakugou turned so he was facing the Deku, ignoring the three Jedi Knights he had been dueling. "How dare you speak down to me? I was the one who brought you out of exile and into the galaxy. It was I who had the vision to ally with the Jedi, even going as far as to join them and become one. And now, after everything I did to open your eyes to everything beyond the atmosphere of Dagobah, you speak as if you have power over me?" The air around them filled with an overpowering scent of ozone crackling as he raised a hand over his head. "Let me show you how mistaken you are."

Thick, indigo bolts of lightning burst forth from a pulsing ball hovering over Bakugou's raised hand. They arced and curved through the chamber indiscriminately, forcing the Jedi to raise their lightsabers and block the offending bolts. Ashido ignited her own, the blade a pale violet, and held it before herself and the Deku.

The bolts racing for them were redirected, colliding against an invisible bubble around the two.

"Do not think because I am no Jedi that I unfamiliar with the Force," the Deku declared. "It is my friend and my ally. The Force comes to my aid in times of need. One must only listen to its ebb and flow to know the truth."

"Don't speak nonsense, Deku!" Bakugou growled, teeth gritted as his fury rose. Ochako nearly choked, feeling the dark side of the Force as it coalesced around the blond, racing to fulfill his fiery will. He waved the hand holding his lightsaber and Ashido was tossed away, crashing into Master Gunhead. "It's time to die!"

There was a blur of black and death, screaming across the chamber, yet the Deku stood there, unflinching. Ochako saw Ashido reach out, shouting, as Bakugou came upon his target.

Nothing happened, or so it appeared to Ochako. The Deku stood there, red blade at his throat, yet it did not blacken, scar, or cut through the flesh. It only hovered there, shaking, as she noticed the strain in Bakugou's pose.

_He's trying to force his attack and kill the Deku._

"You used to be stronger," the Deku said, voice soft yet piercing with truth. Once, you could have even struck me down in this moment." He sighed. "So much strength, abandoned for false promises. Abandon this folly, Bakugou. Surrender to the serenity you once knew in the Force."

"I never knew serenity," Bakugou growled, straining as he drove all his strength into his blow. "Maybe an illusion of peace, but I was never _serene_. The dark side suits me better, Deku. The anger, the hatred, the _passion_. Those emotions are was meant for." He pulled back, lightsaber nearly touching his back. "Let me show you their power—the power of the dark side."

His eyes flashed a sickly gold as Bakugou poured all of his hate and anger and suffering into his blow. It crashed against the Force shield around the Deku, but instead of stopping as before, it slowly chugged through the thick, sticky air Ochako could suddenly feel rippling from the Dagobah Senator. Fear tickled at her senses, whispering for her to give into her own doubts and draw upon the same power Bakugou was channeling.

_Could the dark side truly have this power?_

"Ge-et out of-f-f my HEAD!" Ashido suddenly shouted, igniting her saber with a hissing snap. She was a flurry of navy and pink and grey, stripped down to the tank beneath her flight suit. Bakugou quickly spun his blade to block her attack, but was a moment too slow. Pale violet skimmed his face, searing a red and black line over his right eye. Yet the Sith apprentice only grimaced before forcing her back with a blast of Force lightning.

Her scream drove the other Jedi into action. They ignited lightsabers and charged forward, roaring to cover the painful scream of their comrade. Ochako sprung high above Kirishima and Tetsu as they made to strike, creating an opening in Bakugou's defense for Master Gunhead and Knight Asui to end the battle quickly.

He shoved the Knights back and leapt to avoid Asui and Gunhead. Ochako gritted her teeth and drew upon the Force to angle her jump so that her boots connected with the side of his left knees. Bakugou grunted at the hit, turning to her with furious red eyes as they landed. He clenched a fist and she felt every single one of her allies, even the Deku, freeze into living statues.

"I will kill you first, _Uraraka_."

The malice he poured into her name nearly made her stiffen in fear, spine rigid and blood cold. It took all of her training and discipline to force away the sweet, false whisperings of the dark side, to give in and let Bakugou end her life.

'_You Jedi claim there is no death, only the Force. But how can you know? None come back from death—other than the Sith, that is.'_

With a calm breath, Ochako raised her lightsaber before her face. "You will try."

He struck first, using a lunging jab to spin into a flaring spin. She deflected the first blow before backpedalling, not risking the chance that he wanted her to try and block his attack. As Padawans, they had been familiar with each other, sparing often. She still remembered how Bakugou liked to turn defense into offense, and the only true defense she'd have against his aggressive tactics was her preference for Ataru. The floating, jumping, spinning form would put her beyond the reach of his blade and give her a chance to be quick and fluid enough to strike him down.

Ochako's back slammed into a wall and she was forced to duck under a slash before twirling away from both Bakugou and where she had been momentarily trapped. She stumbled away, spinning her lightsaber about in flashy, acrobatic flourishes she knew would only distract Bakugou as he strode forward like a hungry, vicious predator. He smirked, an expression that curdled her gut and spread fear into her heart.

"Use it," he whispered, smirking. "Use your fear. You're angry with me. Angry at my betrayal. Hate me, Uraraka. Strike me down. Or are you weak, like every other Jedi?"

"The Jedi are not weak," Ochako replied, tightening her grip. "You are, and that is why you have yet to kill any of us. You don't even have the strength to cut me down where I stand."

Bakugou roared as he charged. The roar echoed in her ears, but she stood firm. He was committed to destroying her, and that was his undoing. She waited, and waited, and right as he reached her, Ochako sprung to her right, spinning her lightsaber to catch his blade as Kirishima, Tetsu, and Ashido all drove their blazing lightsabers through his back.

Three blades emerged from the chest of Katsuki Bakugou, and as his red eyes dimmed, so faded his final breath.

**Carbon Freezing Chamber**

Fuyumi's arms burned. Time was meaningless when draw so deep into the Force. The world beyond was swept away by its power and influence, leaving her with nothing but the pounding haze of combat. All she was aware of was Dabi, the monster that had destroyed her brother—that had consumed her brother. Dabi wore his skin, his _face_, yet was dressed in the garb of the Sith—the same Sith Fuyumi and Shouto had promised each other they would destroy.

It was he and his humming crimson blade that stood against her. Her own lightsaber vibrated in her hands, her grip too tight as she struggled to keep ahold of her weapon in the midst of furious, powerful blows. She felt thankful for her minor skill with shatterpoint, for it was all that allowed her to keep pace with the Sith Lord before her. His weaknesses were apparent, yet she lacked the skill to take the advantage and destroy the Sith before her.

"I cannot understand why you would fall so far," she declared, shoving him back with the Force. He stumbled into the freezing console, hand slipping over several buttons. There was a loud hiss as the facility's operations came to life. Her chest heaved, seeking breath in the brief moment of pause, as she asked, "_Who_ could be so important that you would throw away everything for power?"

Dabi paused, pushing away from the console. "Ah, so you realized there's someone more important to me than you. How must that feel, knowing that you were overcome by another in my eyes?"

Turquoise eyes narrowed. "Tell me, Shouto."

Dabi paused, frowning at the name she had used. "And why would I tell you, Fuyumi Todoroki? Your brother Shouto was never that important to you, or you would know."

"That's a _lie_," she shouted, barring teeth. "I sacrificed so much for you. Too much I sacrificed, for I failed to see the signs. You fell, just as father did, and no matter what you may claim, you have become your father's son."

Dabi swallowed his words, furious he had a statement he couldn't refute shoved into his face. Fuyumi smirked and charged, her weapon held low and away from her body. It was bold and disregarded her preferred form, but she could feel the Force pushing her forward, slightly exerting its will upon her. His momentary pause at the brazen attack filled her with confidence.

She kept low to the orange-lit floor and had less than a meter between them. Dabi paused, freezing as if expecting her to strike before getting so close. Fuyumi threw all of her strength into a powerful tackle, sending both of them from their feet and throwing their lightsabers away. There were sizzles as both weapons deactivated, the hilts clattering as they bounced into corners and alcoves.

Fuyumi filled herself with the Force and its strength, knowing she had to act faster than Dabi, or else she was lost. He had the advantage of natural strength, so it was imperative she was stronger in the Force.

_Some would claim the dark side is stronger,_ Fuyumi thought, arms trembling as she pushed back against him. _It is only faster and more prone to tragedy._

_The light is all I need. I wish it could've been the same with you, brother. I wish we never had to come to blows like this._

She jammed a knee into his thigh, pressing hard against one of the softer places halfway up to the groin. Dabi grimaced, then shoved a hand into her face and blasted her full with the Force. Fuyumi was knocked away, utterly disoriented by the hit. Her ears rung, her vision blurred to darkness and lines of light, and if it weren't for her training, Dabi's crimson blade could've taken her head off.

Her hand reached out and her lightsaber slapped into her palm with a hearty smack. Her thumb found the ignition on instinct and Fuyumi activated her lightsaber before Dabi could slice off her head. The cyan blade bounced off the crimson one, nearly searing her nose, and she stumbled away as her orientation returned with speeding clarity.

"You continue to impress," Dabi drawled, glaring. "And you continue to live."

"Disappointed, brother?" Fuyumi taunted, spinning her lightsaber.

Dabi lunged, both hands on the hilt, and then slashed towards her right hand. Fuyumi pulled her weapon back, letting his slash cut through the air, before following up his attack with a twirling strike against his exposed shoulder. Her chest heaved, reaching for breath as Dabi continued to press his attack. Before he could seal her fate, Fuyumi retaliated with a quick head butt.

"I will end this," Fuyumi shouted, and then she attacked with everything she had. She threw it all onto the line, to defeat Dabi before he defeated her. Their fates were sealed.

He moved too slowly to block her attack. It was wild and fierce, one driven by pain and despair. They were emotions not of a Jedi, but of a sister betrayed. Her lightsaber twirled around his crimson blade and sliced through the weapon's emitter. It fizzled out, and the chamber was filled with a single humming blade. She then paused, soft turquoise eyes staring down at him, and her blade lowered.

He lunged forward, Force lightning sparking at his fingertips. She tried to step back, shocked by the reckless charge, but he was too quick. Fuyumi's blazing cyan blade rose. The lightsaber hilt—and blade—followed the swift turn of her wrists at the charge. Before he could reach her, before he could release his dark powers, cyan sunk into Dabi's chest.

She could suddenly feel her brother fully in the Force. Not the Sith Lord he had become, but _Shouto_. For a brief moment, he was himself once more and she couldn't tell if the teary sensations she felt were hers or his. A pulse, a message, a bright flash of hope and apology and sorrow, fled him as her blade found, pierced, and finally charred his heart. It was gone just as it came and as Shouto Todoroki breathed his final breath and accepted his fate, Fuyumi felt a tear slide from the corner of her eye and trail its way down her face. It wasn't a tear of sadness, of regret, or even of some shamed happiness that her brother had redeemed himself in his final moment.

The tear meant nothing to her but the empty feeling of seeing her mission complete, upon the floor before her in the still form of her brother, now lost to the Force.

**Coronet City  
****Corellia**

Yao-zu Todoroki woke up crying. She didn't know when the tears had begun to flow, but they had already soaked her pillow as she sat up in her bed. There was a hole in her heart, a sorrowful pit, and after several seconds, she realized what it was. She didn't need the Force to know what had happened, yet the fading brush she had felt told her everything she needed to know.

"Oh Shouto…" she whispered, resting her face in her hands. When he had told her what he was going to do to keep her safe, she had argued for him not to do so. Yao-zu had grown up on stories of Endeavor, about the horrors he had caused. That the man she loved, the light of her life would follow that path had horrified her.

_This was why I begged him not to go through with his plan,_ she realized, letting her comforter pool in her lap. _I was afraid he would die and now I have lost him—and I can't even touch the Force to see him one last time._

Her bedroom door hissed open, sliding left as a small form raced into the room. Yao-zu slid over in her bed so that when her daughter reached the bed, she could be easily lifted up into her mother's arms.

"Daddy…" she mumbled, crying into Yao-zu's shoulder.

"Shhh," Yao-zu whispered. "Your daddy is part of the Force, sweet Rei. Can you not feel him?"

"Yes," Rei whispered through her tears. "But he's…he's _gone_, Mommy."

"I know," said Yao-zu, onyx eyes puffy red from tears. "I know."

There was a buzz from the door and they both stiffened. A few seconds passed of quiet, and then it buzzed again. Yao-zu finally stood, Rei still in her arms, and grabbed a blaster from its hiding place in her nightstand. She slipped out of her room and followed the narrow hallway towards the door. With a meter or so between her and it, she pressed the comm button.

"Who is it?"

"Fuyumi Todoroki."

Yao-zu's heart stopped for a brief moment, as if clenched by a tight fist. She had heard it was possible to kill that way from Shouto, and some nights she woke in a sweaty, screaming mess, so certain it had happened to her.

"What do you want?"

She flinched the moment those words were out of her mouth. Yao-zu didn't mean to sound so harsh.

"May I come in? It's about my brother—your husband."

Yao-zu stared at the door for several seconds before asking, "Do you know how he died?"

Shouto's sister released a shuddering, teary breath that made her heart reach out to this woman she didn't know, but was family to her. A moment passed where she was tempted to open the door.

"I…I was the one, and I hope you can find solace in the fact that Shouto was himself again in…in that final moment."

Those words, after everything she had felt and seen and handled, were what broke Yao-zu, dropping her to her knees as every ounce of sorrow and regret poured forth in salty, streaming tears.


End file.
